The present invention relates generally to a computer model of a joint. More specifically, the present invention relates to a computer model of a joint to represent, for example, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis or other inflammatory diseases of the joint.
Synovial inflammation, rapid degradation of cartilage, and erosion of bone in affected joints are characteristic of, for example, rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Recent evidence indicates that skeletal tissue degradation and inflammation are regulated through overlapping but not identical pathways in the rheumatoid joint and that therapeutic effects on these two aspects need not be correlated. Furthermore, considerable uncertainty exists about the relative contributions of the various biological processes of the joint to the pathogenesis of RA. Thus, a need exists for a better understanding of the mechanisms regulating joint inflammation and joint degradation. Such an understanding would be helpful for strategically designing therapies for protecting the joint.
Due to the complexity of the biological processes in the joint, mathematical and computer models can be used to help better understand the interactions between the various tissue compartments, cell types, mediators, and other factors involved in joint disease and healthy homeostasis. Several researchers have constructed simple models of the mechanical environment of the joint and compared the results to patterns of disease and development in cartilage and bone (Wynarsky & Greenwald, J. Biomech., 16:241-251, 1983; Pollatschek & Nahir, J. Theor. Biol., 143:497-505, 1990; Beaupre et al., J. Rehabil Res. Dev., 37:145-151, 2000; Shi et al., Acta Med. Okayama, 17:646-653, 1999). However, these models are focused on the mechanical aspects of the joint and do not explicitly include the biological processes related to cells in the synovial membrane and other joint compartments. For instance, in RA the cells of the synovial membrane are known to play a major role in driving the disease (Szekanecz & Koch, Curr. Rheumatol. Rep., 3:53-63, 2001). Hence, a need exists to develop a computer or mathematical model, which includes multiple compartments including the synovial membrane and the interactions of these compartments, to develop a better understanding of joint diseases.